Stanford Prison Experiment Overview of Experiment: Who: Philip Zombardo chose 24 random college-age men, who signed up to participate When: August 15-21, 1971 Where: Stanford University, Stanford, California What: Conducted a Prison-simulation experiment Why: Answer the over-arching questions: "What happened when you put good people in an evil place? Does humanity win over evil, or does evil triumph?" (Zombardo, 2013)
Volunteers -A sample of 24 college students from the U.S. and Canada who were in the Stanford area -Were given diagnostic and personality tests to eliminate candidates with psychological problems, medical disabilities, or a history of crime or drug use -Divided up into two groups based on the flip of a coin -Half of the group was designated as the guards -Other half of the group was designated as prisoners -No differences between those assigned as prisoners and those assigned as guards
Creating the Environment of a Prison
-Consulted former prisoners and correctional personnel for researchers to be aware of what it was like to be a prisoner and a prison guard -Held in the basement of Stanford's Psychology department building
The Prisoners -Each prisoner was systematically searched and stripped naked -Sprayed down, to convey researchers' belief that they may have germs or lice -Degradation procedure was designed to humiliate prisoners -Prisoners were issued uniforms, consisting of a smock, rubber sandals, and a stocking cap -Trying to create a functional simulation of a prison, not an prison
The Guards -Guards were free do do whatever they thought was necessary to maintain law and order in prison -Warned about the potential seriousness of their mission and the possible dangers in the situation they were about to end -All guards were dressed in uniform as well
Conclusion -The experiment was ended early, after only 6 days -Guards were escalating the abuse of the prisoners -A Stanford Ph.D questioned the morality of the experiment after observing it -After just 6 days, understandable how prisons dehumanize people -Realized how ordinary people could readily transform from good to evil in a situation where they are given power
For more information, and a detailed description of the events that took place during the experiment, visit the website, created by Philip Zombardo himself: http://www.prisonexp.org/
Overview of Experiment:
Who: Philip Zombardo chose 24 random college-age men, who signed up to participate
When: August 15-21, 1971
Where: Stanford University, Stanford, California
What: Conducted a Prison-simulation experiment
Why: Answer the over-arching questions: "What happened when you put good people in an evil place? Does humanity win over evil, or does evil triumph?" (Zombardo, 2013)
Volunteers
-A sample of 24 college students from the U.S. and Canada who were in the Stanford area
-Were given diagnostic and personality tests to eliminate candidates with psychological problems, medical disabilities, or a history of crime or drug use
-Divided up into two groups based on the flip of a coin
-Half of the group was designated as the guards
-Other half of the group was designated as prisoners
-No differences between those assigned as prisoners and those assigned as guards
Creating the Environment of a Prison
-Consulted former prisoners and correctional personnel for researchers to be aware of what it was like to be a prisoner and a prison guard
-Held in the basement of Stanford's Psychology department building
The Prisoners
-Each prisoner was systematically searched and stripped naked
-Sprayed down, to convey researchers' belief that they may have germs or lice
-Degradation procedure was designed to humiliate prisoners
-Prisoners were issued uniforms, consisting of a smock, rubber sandals, and a stocking cap
-Trying to create a functional simulation of a prison, not an prison
The Guards
-Guards were free do do whatever they thought was necessary to maintain law and order in prison
-Warned about the potential seriousness of their mission and the possible dangers in the situation they were about to end
-All guards were dressed in uniform as well
Conclusion
-The experiment was ended early, after only 6 days
-Guards were escalating the abuse of the prisoners
-A Stanford Ph.D questioned the morality of the experiment after observing it
-After just 6 days, understandable how prisons dehumanize people
-Realized how ordinary people could readily transform from good to evil in a situation where they are given power
For more information, and a detailed description of the events that took place during the experiment, visit the website, created by Philip Zombardo himself:
http://www.prisonexp.org/
Zombardo, P. (1999). Stanford prison experiment. Retrieved from http://www.prisonexp.org/
Zombardo, P. (Writer), & Stanford Instructional Television Network, (Producer) (1988). Quiet rage [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKnU3ARSgWI
Mrowka, Kate, 2013